Art of relief or embossed printing



April 7, 1931. o. ZEHNPFUND 1,799,773

ART OF RELIEF OR EMBOSSED PRINTING Filed Jan. 30, 1929 I N VEN TOR. 0&2? ZeZ/nflz/wd Patented Apr. 7, 1931 I 7 ART OF BELIEF OR EMBOSSED PRINTING Application filed January 30, 1929. Serial No. 336,183.

rss PATENT OFFICE OTTO ZEHNPFUND, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY This invention relates to a novel method of producing embossed printing which eliminates the use of relatively expensive engraved, etched or otherwise prepared metallic dies,

6 but which nevertheless obtains a sharply defined embossed imprint; and the invention has reference, furthermore, to novel embossing dies, which may be readily and quickly prepared by the printer himself, in connection with the method of embossed printing involved in this invention, and which can be produced from ordinary printing materials and by ordinary printing appliances commonly in use in all printing establishments.

In the production of embossed printing, as heretofore practiced, it has been necessary for 1 the printer to obtain metallic male and female dies prepar'ed by engraving, etching or by other hand or mechanical process. Such dies 29 are expensive, and their comparatively high cost ordinarily renders the use thereof prohibitive in connection with small quantity 'obs. 1 It is the principal object of this invention to provide a method of obtaining relief or embossed printing which eliminates the use of 4 expensive metallic dies, and in place thereof provides comparatively inexpensive male and female dies which may be produced by the printer himself out of ordinary printing materials and with the aid of ordinary printing apparatus, thus obviating expensive engraving, etching or similar hand or mechanical processes not capable of practice by the aver- 5 age printer.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will'be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the same. l

In order to illustrate the character and physical structure of the novel male and female dies, the preparation and use of which is involved in the practice of the novel method of producing embossed printing in accordance with the principles of this invention, the accompanying drawings are furnished, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective of a back or foundation member of a male die as initially printed to correspond to the matter to be embossed;

Fig. 2 is a perspective of said back or foundation member after the imprint thereon has been raised; Fig. 3 shows a perspective of one of a plurality of bodying sheets for the male die, having corresponding raised imprints 5b thereon; Fig. 4 shows an assembly in erspective of the back or foundation mem er and bodying sheets together with a top or cover sheet as related together to provide the complete male die; Fig. 5 shows an enlarged fragmentary section through the complete male 'die; and Fig. 6 is a perspective View of a female die made according to the principles of this invention.

Similar characters of reference are emplayed in the above described views, to indicate correspondin parts.

The method 0 producing embossed imprints according to the principles of this invention, consists in the following ste s and operations, which will be first descri ed as practiced in connection with the use of any well known type of platen press.

Preparing the male embossing die pression a on a sheet 0 relativelyheavy stock or, paper adapted to provide the back or foundation member 10 of the male die to be produced. After the imprinted back or foundation memb 3r 10 is thus initially prepared, the operator pulls from six to eight impressions or proofs imprinted on relatively thin paper, such as tissue or onionskin paper, of the same size as the finished job to be produced, to thus provide a plurality of bodying sheets 11.

While the ink of the imprints on the back or foundation member 10 and on the bodyin sheets 11 is still moist, the same are powdere with an adhering rosin'powder or other similar material adapted to fuse and set under the application of heat. After thus being powdered the member 10 and sheets 11 are subjected to heat in order to fuse and set the. rosin powder, whereby a clear slightly raised or relief body b is produced with respect to the printed impressions. The relief bodies I) thus produced and set will become rigid and relatively hard or unyielding. Care must be taken, however, not to overheat the rosin powder so that the same becomes too brittle, since under such condition it is likely to fracture under pressure and chip or flake off, which is detrimental to the efliciency of the male die ultimately produced.

After the back or foundation member 10 and bodying sheets 11 are thus prepared, a plurality of the latter (usually from six to eight thereof) are superimposed upon the former, with their respective imprints in accurate register one with another. This may be done by applying the bodying sheets one at a time to the base or foundation member, while holding the latter in front of or against a bright light. Each bodying sheet may be held in place relative to the base or foundation member and relative to each other by applying spots of an adhesive substance to the meeting surfaces thereof at areas offset from the imprints thereon. After the back or foundation member 10 and the body sheets have been thus assembled together, it is desirable to apply and afiix thereto an unprinted top or cover sheet 12 (see Figs. 4 and 5). This completes the preparation of the male die, wherein the superimposed relief bodies of the assembled back or foundation sheet and bodying sheets, together produce male or relief die portions D corresponding to the printed impressions, which may comprise any style of letter or numeral character or any style of decorative, pictorial or like imprinted subjects or designs.

Preparing the female embossing de'e Upon completion of the male die, in the manner above described, the next step is the preparation and production of a correspond ing female die to cooperate therewith. Preliminary to the production of said female die, the type form is removed from the chase on the bed platen of the printing press, and in place thereof there is locked into the chase,

in same position formerly occupied by the type form, a type-high wood block. The paper margin of the job is measured, and then the block is lowered six points less than the margin. The inking rollers are removed from the press. The operator now pastes together two sheets of Bristol board (preferably eight ply) or other suitable stock, to form a backing sheet 13 and a superimposed die sheet 14 to thus provide the body of the female die. This die body is now adhesively secured to the face of the aforementioned block. For this purpose a rubber cement may be satisfactorily employed. The block and die body may be larger than the type form but not smaller.

The male die is now adhesively secured on minute as minimum,

the tympan of the movable platen of the press and against the paper positioning guides. For this purpose a rubber cement may also be used as the adhesive. When the male die has thus been positioned and secured on the movable platen of the press, the paper guides are temporarily removed, whereupon the press is manually actuated to pressure point, wherein the male die is brought into strong pressure contact with the female die body. The press is held stationary at pressure point for a short time, and preferably about one during which time the male or relief die portions will press into the die sheet 14 of the female die body to produce in the face thereof female die depressions D corresponding to and for coo eration with the relief die portions D o the male die.

The embossing operations the former to expose the latter therethrough,

the margins of said opening being pasted down upon the male die. The draw sheet thus covers the periphery of the male die, and affords a smooth surface upon which the work may be hand fed against the guides when operating the press. When the draw sheet is in place, the guides or stops, for positioning the sheets to be embossed in register with the male and female dies, are replaced and carefully adjusted, whereupon the press is ready to perform the embossing work. It is desirable to now pull an impression on a trial sheet. If the trial impression shows on the finished work indentations of the marginal edges of the female die, the marginal portions of the later should be beveled off to prevent such undesired marking of the finished work. I

Previous to the preparation of the male die, the required quantity of sheets desired to complete the job in hand are printed on the press from the initial type form. hese plain printed sheets are laid aside until the ink impressions are thoroughly dry. These printed sheets are fed to the press, which may now be operated by power, in the usual way so as to be impressed between the male and female dies, the die portions D and D of which match and register with the ink imprints of the sheets. As a result the imprints of the sheets will be raised from the surface of the sheet in relief, thereby producing a very sharply defined embossed imprint of rich and handsome appearance, and of a character which has not heretofore been obtainable except by use of expensive engraved or like metallic dies.

It will be obvious from the above descript1on, that by employment of the method of my invention, both small and large printing establishments can successfully and at a minimum of expense produce embossed or relief printing, in plain black, or in other single colors, or in combinations of various colors, and that all necessity for the provision of expensive engraved or similar dies is eliminated. Furthermore, not only is embossing of various type forms attainable by my novel method, but also embossing of ornamental design or pictorial imprints of any kind may be accomplished with equal facility and economy.

I have above described my novel method of imprint embossing as carried on in connection with a platen press. In its essentials, however, the method may be also carried out in connection with cylinder presses. In such case the required quantity of impressions are printed from the type form in the regular way, the same being laid aside so that the ink may thoroughly dry out. The operator now prints a back or foundation member 10 and a plurality of bodying sheets 11. These sheets are powdered with rosin powder, heated and then assembled together with a cover sheet 12 in the same manner as herein previously described, whereby a male die is produced. d Preparatory to the making of the female than type-high, is secured on the bed in the same position and in place of the type form, and on the face of the block is adhesively attached the assembled backing sheet 13 and die sheet 14 for the female die. The. prepared male die is now adhesively secured to the tympan of the cylinder, and beneath a draw sheet, the latter being cut out to expose the male die face. The stripper fingers of the press are now removed, whereupon the press is set in motion under trip, until a speed at which the job is to be run is attained and indicated on the register. When the desired speed is attained the trip is released, and the male die is permitted to make pressure contact with the female die body for about ten to fifteen impressions, whereby the male die portions will impress the female die sheet 14 to produce the die portions D.

The cylinder press is now ready to carry on the embossing job, and consequently the previously printed sheets making up the job are struck in register, and run through the machine, so that the same are engaged between the male and female dies and thus embossed.

In carrying on the embossing operations on a cylinder press as above set forth, it is essential to carefully note the speed of the machine, to keep the same constant and equivalent to that at which the female die was produced, since slowing of press speed is likely to run the dies out of register. It is not necessary to use excessive impression, in fact the ink rollers are removed from the b press, and a wooden block, six point lower the regular type impression will be found to give satisfactory results.

In cylinder press operation, the female die may have its edges beveled to avoid producing undesired creases or marks on the finished Work; furthermore, if any tendency of the finished workto wrinkle occurs, it may be overcome by cutting away the face of the female die around the die portions D.

It is frequently desirableto produce embossed white silhouettes in connection with a printed background. In such case the job is first printed in the regular way, and then an impression from the type form is madeon the tympan with a suflicient quantity of ink, after which a foundation sheet protected by a covering sheet is run through the press to obtain an offset print from the ink imprint on the tympan. From six to eight thin bodying sheets are produced with ofi'set imprints in the same way. The thus imprinted foundation and bodying sheets are then raised in the manner already described and assembled to produce a male die; the male die thus prepared is utilized to in turn produce a female die in the manner above described, but in the reverse positions in the press, i. e. the male die is mounted on the block in the chase in place of the type form, and the female die ody is mounted and formed on the tympan of the movable platen of the press, and then the work is run for the embossing operations, with the result that white relief parts will be raised above the imprinted surfaces of the previously printed job.

In cases where it is desired to emboss only certain parts of the imprints, the parts not desired may be removed, after the male die sheet imprints are raised, by removing such parts of the raised imprints by a make-ready knife before assembling the foundation and bodying sheets together; all of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

Where it is desired to produce embossing without inked or printed faces, it is merely necessary to produce the dies in the manner described, and then run plain unprinted stock for the completed job.

While the materials mentioned in the above description of this invention are adapted to adequately serve the purposes for which they are intended, it will be obvious that many other specific materials may be found which will function as well, and consequently I do not limit myself to the specific materials mentioned, but deem the invention to include any and all materials of whatever nature which will lend themselves readily to the requirements of the methods involved.

I also wish to point out that some changes may be made as to the sequence of method steps as above described, and consequently I i do not desire my method as a whole to be of steps hereinbefore described.

There are many other uses to which the embossing dies, made according to and embodying the principles of my instant invention, may be applied, and which will be easily determined and understood by those skilled in the art; and consequently my invention includes the peculiar structure and make up of the dies per se, as well as the above described methods of employing the same.

I am also aware that some changes could be made in the above described methods, and in the novel construction of embossing dies above set forth, without departing from the scope of this invention, and therefore it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim 1. A method of producing embossing dies, comprising the production by either direct or oif-set method ink impressions of a desired type form on one side of a foundation sheet and on one sideeach of a plurality of relatively thin embodying sheets; powdering the wet ink impressions of said sheets with rosin powder, and then heating said sheets to fuse and set said powder to raise said ink impressions in hard relief; then assembling said bodying sheets in superimposed and registered relation upon said foundation .sheet with the relief impressions thereof all facing in one direction, and applying to the assembly a thin unprinted top sheet, to thereby provide a complete male die; and then applying said male die in pressure contact with a female die sheet to form female die impressions therein, to thus prov vide a female die for cooperation with said 40 male die.

2. A method of producing a die having its die portions in relief, comprising the production. by either direct or off-set method ink impressions of a desired type form on one side of a foundation sheet and on one side each of a plurality of relatively thin bodying sheets; powdering the wet impressions with rosin powder, and then heating said sheets to fuse and set the owder to raise said ink impressions in hanf relief; then assembling said body sheets in superimposed and registered relation upon said foundation sheet with the relief impressions thereof all facing in one direction; and then applying to the thus assembled sheets an unprinted thin top sheet.

3. A male embossing die, comprising a foundation sheet and a plurality of relatively thin bodying sheets, each said sheet having imposed on one 'side thereof imprinted matter in hard relief corresponding to the die portions desired, said bodying sheets being assembled together and superimposed in registered relation with respect to each other and with and upon said foundation sheet with the hard relief imprints of the respective sheets facing in one direction and dlsposed in overlying relation one above another to thereby provide projecting male die and a thin unprinted top sheet disportions,

the die body thus posed over the face of constructed.

In testimony, that I claim-the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of January, 1929.

OTTO ZEHNPFUND. 

